Rocker type latch construction

ABSTRACT

LOWER FLANGES WHICH MAY BE SPRUNG INWARDLY SOMEWHAT DURING ASSEMBLY AND HAVE OUTWARDLY PROJECTING LUG PROTIONS WHICH ARE INTERFITTED INTO SLOTS IN UPPER AND LOWER WALLS OF THE CONCAVE WELL TO SLIDABLY SUPPORT THE LATCH MEMBER IN THE WELL. A LATCH INCLUDING LOCK MEANS FOR LUGGAGE CASES AND THE LIKE INCLUDING A KEEPER TO BE MOUNTED ON THE UPPER CASE SECTION, AND A LATCH UNIT TO BE MOUNTED ON THE LOWER CASE SECTION. THE LATCH SECTION INCLUDES A HOUSING DEFINING A CONCAVE WELL AND A LATCH MEMBER SUPPORTED THEREFROM FOR CIRCUMFERENTIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN LATCHING AND UNLATCHING POSITIONS. THE LATCH MEMBER IS FORMED OF SHEET MATERIAL, HAVING CIRCULAR SEGMENT UPPER AND

Nov. 2, 1-971 w. E. ATKINSON 3,

ROCKER TYPE LATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 31, 1970 I3, Sheets-Shoot J;

INVENTOR WALLACE E. ATKINSON BY maso-l iwmnu mae ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,616,666 Patented Nov. 2, 1971 Filed Aug. 31, 1970, Ser. No. 68,333 Int. Cl. Eb 65/52 U.S. Cl. 7070 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A latch including lock means for luggage cases and the like including a keeper to be mounted on the upper case section, and a latch unit to be mounted on the lower case section. The latch section includes a housing defining a concave well and a latch member supported therefrom for circumferential movement between latching and unlatching positions. The latch member is formed of sheet material, having circular segment upper and lower flanges which may be sprung inwardly somewhat during assembly and have outwardly projecting lug protions which are interfitted into slots in upper and lower walls of the concave well to slidably support the latch member in the well.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a latch structure for luggage cases and other containers having a cover section hinged to a body section, wherein the latch mechanism, which includes key locking components, is housed in a well member to normally lie substantially flush with the adjacent surface of the luggage or a surface of a luggage valance or the like and is movable along an arcuate path about an axis parallel to the surface to release a keeper.

Heretofore, it has been the usual practice in the design and construction of latch mechanisms for luggage cases and the like to provide a spring biased bolt on one of the separable container sections which is urged into latching relation with a keeper on the other separable case section whenever the sections are moved to closed relationship. Frequently, a movable finger piece of some sort has been provided in such prior devices to permit the operator to overcome the spring bias and release the latch, the finger piece usually being a projection or extension from the lock body or casing disrupting the continuity and artistic appearance of the casing.

I have previously disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,266,275, a latch mechanism located in a well member housed in the body section of the luggage case to normally lie flush with the surface of the luggage and which is movable along an arcuate path to release a keeper mounted on the cover section. The latch construction of the present invention represents an improvement over the construction disclosed in my earlier, above mentioned patent, as it is of much simpler construction, requiring fewer parts and thus is more economically manufactured. It particularly involves elimination of the rivet extending through the walls of the well and the circumferentially movable latch member, by providing small ears or outwardly projecting tabs on the flanges of the latch member which may be sprung inwardly to insert the latch member within the well and then return outwardly by elastic memory to interfit in slots in the upper end lower walls of the well which also serve as openings for the keeper. Also a bighted spring with a detent nose coacts with detent sockets on the curved base wall of the well to provide dead latch action, holding the rocker latch mechanism in open position or closed position.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of a latch structure of the kind having a rocker type latch member movable in a concave well and having a key locking mechanism incorporated therein, which is simple and compact in construction, attractive in appearance and reliable in operation, and which is capable of manufacture in an economical manner.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of novel latch structure having latch and lock components forming a rocker member housed in a concave well of a housing member to lie normally substantially flush with the adjacent surface of the associated container or luggage or with an outwardly facing surface of a valance strip or the like, the rocker member being movable along an arcuate path for releasing the latch components, and wherein the rocker member is assembled in and maintained within the concave well in a novel manner facilitating simplification and economy of manufacture.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a latch mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in position on a portion of a luggage receptacle indicated in broken lines;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the latch mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1, illustrating the parts in locked condition;

FIG. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section view, taken along the line -44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical transverse section view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, the latch structure of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference character 10 and comprises a latch section 11, which may, for example, be mounted on a tray or body portion 12 of a luggage case, and a keeper 13 which may be mounted on the separable cover section 14 of the luggage case. Such latch section and keeper are usually mounted on the front wall of their respective receptacle sections adjacent the plane of separation between a receptacle body and cover, indicated by reference character 15.

The latch section 11 comprises a housing member 16 having a front panel portion 17 of laterally or horizontally elongated, generally rectangular, configuration, and a rearwardly projecting well portion 18 defining a forwardly opening well 19 in the configuration of a segment of a cylinder concentric with the vertical axis located forwardly of the front panel portion 17 and substantially centered between the opposite lateral ends or vertical edges of the panel portion 17. The well 19 is bounded by a arcuate concave inner wall 20, and top and bottom walls 21, g2 of circular segment configuration preferably integral with the front panel portion 17 and concave inner wall 20. The marginal portions of the front panel portion on all sides thereof extend beyond the exuemities of the well portion 18 to define mounting and locating flanges 17' for the housing member 16. The housing member 16 is adapted to be mounted in the body portion 12 of the luggage or container by projecting the well portion 18 through a suitable accommodating opening cut in the front wall of the luggage body 12 until the flanges 17' abut against the front surface of the wall of the luggage section 12 bounding the opening for accommodating the wall portion 18, thus disposing the front panel portion 17 substantially flush with the luggage front wall. The housing member 16 is secured in this position by suitable fastening means, which may be fastening rivets (not shown) extendable through apertures 17a in the flanges 17, or may be rear- Wardly projecting integral mounting lugs forming bendable cars which may be extended through the front wall of the luggage, or any other conventional suitable fastening means.

Disposed within the well 19 of the housing member 16 is a movable latch member or rocker of corresponding configuration to the well 19 adapted to be rotate or rocked through a small arc therein and displaced laterally through a short distance during such rotation to release the cooperating keeper 13. This movable latch member 25, in the preferred embodiment, is formed of sheet metal and shaped to define an integral front wall 26, of substantially planiform retangular configuration interrupted by a ribbon zone 26a adjacent one end and a slightly recessed zone 26b adjacent the other end for decorative purposes and indicating the location where the finger of the operator should be applied to respectively shift the rocker or latch member 25 to unlatching position and to latching position, respectively. The latch member or rocker 25, in addition to the front wall 26, has integral circular segment top and bottom flanges 27 and 28 extending rearwardly from the front wall 26 along substantially parallel planes and conforming closely to the curvature and configuration of the well 19 in horizontal section, to nest therein in the normal latching position of the latch member 25 with the front wall 26 substantially flush with the panel portion 17 of the housing member 16. The top and bottom flanges 27, 28 are provided with an irregular keeper recess formation generally indicated at 29 comprising an enlarged or deeper keeper recess portion 30 and a shallower keeper recess portion 31 forming a locking shoulder on each of the top and bottom flanges 27, 28 which may enter the slot 32 on the downwardly extending tongue 13a of the keeper when the rocker is in latching position to restrain the keeper in latched relation with the latch member 25. The top and bottom walls 21, 22 of the housing member 16 also have keeper openings 33 therein having a circumferential extent corresponding substantially to the enlarged keeper recess portion 30 and of a size to accommodate entry of the keeper tongue 1311 into the well 19. In the normal latching position of the latch member 25, the enlarged keeper recess portions 30 are offset toward the right hand end of the well, as viewed in FIG. 2, from the keeper apertures 33 and are displaced from proper registry with the tongue 13a of the keeper so that the flanges 13b of the tongue bounding the keeper slot 32 are interfitted on opposite sides of the shoulder 31a of one of the flanges 27 and 28 with the shoulder 31a interfittedin the keeper slot 32, thereby maintaining the keeper latched in the well 19. Upon rocking or arcuate displacement of the latch member 25 from its normal latching position to its unlatching position, the shoulder 31a of the flange 27 or 28 with drawn from the keeper slot 32 to free the keeper for withdrawal from the well 19.

Also integrally extending from the front wall 26 of the latch member 25 are a pair of inwardly converging, inclined end flanges 35 and 36 which are bent inwardly over the opposite ends of the plate member 37, forming a retaining plate for the slide bolt 38 and having a length which is substantially coextensive with the length of the front wall 26 to be retained thereagainst at the opposite ends of the front wall 26 by engagement of the flanges 35, 36 with the forwardly inclined end portions 37a at the opposite ends of the plate member 37. The bolt 38 is slidably disposed between the plate member 37 and the front wall member '36 and has a suitably shaped aperture 4 38a therein to receive the bit portion of a key for shifting the bolt 38 between locking and unlocking positions upon rotation of the key. The aperture 38a is aligned with a circular key opening 37b in the plate member 37 and an appropriately shaped key opening 260 in the front wall 26 of the latch member 25. The bolt 33 also has a resilient, somewhat rearwardly inclined end portion 38b extending over most of its right hand half as viewed in FIG. 2, which includes a rearwardly projecting detent nose 380, the rearwardly inclined portion 38b bearing against the front surface of the plate member 37. This rearwardly inclined portion 381) with its detent nose 38c is adapted to be resiliently restrained in locking position when engaged with the detent opening 370 of plate member 37, and in the unlocking position when the detent nose 38c registers with the detent aperture 37d in plate member 37.

The bolt 38 also has a rearwardly extending locking flange 38d terminating in a tongue portion, which projects through a slot 37c in the lower edge portion of the plate member 37, as viewed in FIG. 2, the tongue portion being projectable into the locking aperture 20a in the concave rear wall 20 of the well 18 when the bolt is shifted to locking position.

A bighted leaf spring 39 is also provided, having a first flange 39a defining a foot interfitted through the recess in the near end of the plate 37 as viewed in FIG. 2 between the rearwardly inclined portion 38b of bolt 38 and the rear surface of front wall 26, and having a rearwardly inclined free leg 39!) provided with a detent nose 39c which registers with either the detent socket 40a or 40b in the concave rear wall 20 of the well 19 to resiliently restrain the rocker or latch member 25 in either the latching or unlatching positions to which it is manually adjusted by the operator. The spring 39 also exerts resilient pressure against both the curved wall 20 of well 19 and the rear surface of front wall 26, providing a tension between the two parts which enables a snug fit, a smooth and consistent movement of the rocker or latch member 25, and prevents rattling.

The keeper tongue 13a, which forms a downwardly projecting extension terminating in a rounded convex lower end portion when viewed from the front, for example in FIG. 4, has a peripheral flange portion 13b projecting toward the front of the latch assembly, and is produced by forming forwardly with suitable dies the edge portions along the tongue and lower horizontal edges of the keeper 13 and then cutting or otherwise suitably forming the slot 32 in one of the lateral portions of the flange alongside the tongue 13a.

The components making up the movable latch member 25 are readily assembled together by placing the bolt 38 against the rear face of the front wall 26 with the flange 39a of the leaf spring 39 interfitted between the bolt portion 38b and front wall 26. Then the retaining plate member 37 is located in rearwardly overlying relation to these members, and the end flanges 35, 36 are bent rearwardly and inwardly over the end portions of plate member 37 to the holding position shown in FIG. 3.

This latch member assembly 25 is retained in the well 19 of the housing member 16 and movably supported for circumferential or rocking movement between latching and unlatching positions by pair of outwardly oppositely projecting cars 42, 43 which are integral with the top and bottom flanges 27, 28 and extend from the edges of the deeper keeper recess portion 30 of the recess formation 29 in each flange. These ears 42, 43 in the assembled condition of the latch structure extend into the keeper openings 33 of the top and bottom walls 21, 22 of the housing member in sliding contact with the curved surfaces of openings 33 nearest the front of the latch structure, and are sufficiently small relative to the openings 33 in the direction of circumferential movement of the latch members 25 to permit movement of the latter between the latching and unlatching positions. This arrangement significantly simplifies the assembly of the latching member 25 in the well of the housing 16, as the top and bottom flanges 27, 28 carrying the ears 42, 43, are simply squeezed toward each other enough to permit entry of the cars 42, 43 into the well and the latch member 25 is pushed rearwardly until the ears 42, 43 snap outwardly into the keeper openings 33. It will be appreciated that the flanges 27, 28 of latch 25 and the top and bottom walls 21. 22 of housing 16 are slightly resiliently deformable as they are formed of relatively thin sheet metal, and therefore the flanges 27, 28 spring inwardly and the walls 21, 22 spring outwardly enough for the ears 42, 43 to pass rearwardly within the well 19 into registry with the openings 33 where they spring outwardly into retaining position.

What is claimed is:

1. A latch adapted to be mounted on a pair of separable companion sections of a container, the sections respectively having substantially coplanar first and second front surfaces adjacent a line of separation therebetween, comprising a keeper to be aflixed to the first front surface having a tongue extending toward said second front surface including means defining a laterally opening slot adjacent a lateral edge of the tongue, a latching unit on the second front surface including a housing member defining a well having top and bottom walls of substantially circular segment configuration concentric with an axis spaced outwardly from said second surface and opening outwardly thereof, a movable latch member of substan tially corresponding configuration to said well nested therein for movement from a normal latching position to a circumferentially displaced release position, said latch member having a pair of spaced parallel top and bottom thin circular segment flanges extending inwardly perpendicularly of the plane of the second surface, at least one of said housing member walls having a keeper receiving opening therein and the adjacent flange having a keeper receiving recess therein registering with said keeper receiving opening at said release position to receive the keeper tongue in said latch member, said adjacent flange including a shoulder portion bounding the keeper receiving recess therein movable into and out of the slot in said keeper tongue upon such circumferential displacement of the latch member for latching the keeper tongue therein against withdrawal therefrom and for freeing the keeper tongue for withdrawal, said top and bottom walls having portions defining arcuate surfaces concentric with said axis, and said flanges having outwardly oppositely projecting ears bent outwardly from an edge portion of each of said flanges into sliding contact with said arcuate surfaces to retain said latch member within said well and guidably support the same for said circumferential displacement between said latching and release positions.

2. A latch as defined in claim 1, wherein said arcuate surfaces bound recess portions of said top and bottom walls and said top and bottom flanges are resiliently deformable inwardly toward each other to a sufficient extent to permit passage of the ears into the well to register with said recess portions whereupon the edge portions of the flanges spring outwardly to dispose the ears in sliding contact with the arcuate surfaces.

3. In a latch as defined in claim 1, said latch member including a key lock having a bolt movable by a key between a projected and retracted position within said well, and said housing member including a stop surface located adjacent said bolt when the latter is in projected position and said latch member occupies said latching position to bar movement of said latch member to said release position.

4. In a latch as defined in claim 1, said latch member having a front wall and integral end flanges bent rearwardly and inwardly in convergent relation from opposite ends of said front wall, a retaining plate substantially co extensive with said front wall spaced rearwardly therefrom and retained by said end flanges rearwardly lapping the same, and a bolt plate slidably supported between said front wall and retaining plate for rectilinear reciprocative movement between locking and unlocking positions responsive to movement of a key, said bolt plate having a locking lug projecting integrally rearwardly therefrom beyond said retaining plate, and said housing member including a concave cylindrical wall having shoulder means engageable with said locking lug at the locking position of said bolt plate to hold said latch member against circumferential movement from latching position.

5. In a latch as defined in claim 2, said latch member having a front wall and integral end flanges bent rearwardly and inwardly in convergent relation from opposite ends of said front wall, a retaining plate substantially coextensive with said front wall spaced rearwardly therefrom and retained by said end flanges rearwardly lapping the same, and a bolt plate slidably supported between said front wall and retaining plate for rectilinear reciprocative movement between locking and unlocking positions responsive to movement of a key, said bolt plate having a locking lug projecting integrally rearwardly therefrom beyond said retaining plate, and said housing member including a concave cylindrical wall having shoulder means engageable with said locking lug at the locking position of said bolt plate to hold said latch member against circumferential movement from latching position.

6. A latch as defined in claim 1, wherein said keeper tongue is of sheet material shaped to provide a thin planar body portion having a convex lower free end, the planar body portion being bounded laterally and along the free end by a forwardly extending flange having a slot interrupting the flange at one side of the tongue to define said laterally opening slot in the plane of one of said flanges of said latch member.

7. A latch adapted to be mounted on a pair of separable companion sections of a container, the sections respectively having substantially coplanar first and second front surfaces adjacent a line of separation therebetween, comprising a keeper to be afixed to the first front surface having a tongue extending toward said second front surface including means defining a laterally opening slot adjacent a lateral edge of the tongue, a latching unit on the second front surface including a housing member having a concave cylindrical rear wall and top and bottom circular segment walls defining a well of substantially circular segment configuration concentric with an axis spaced outwardly from said second surface and opening outwardly thereof, a movable latch member of substantially corresponding configuration to said well nested therein for movement from a normal latching position to a circumferentially displaced release position, said latch member having a thin elongated front wall substantially closing said Well at the plane of said second surface and having a pair of spaced parallel top and bottom thin circular segment flanges integral therewith extending inwardly perpendicularly of the front wall along the longitudinal edges thereof, said top and bottom walls having keeper receiving openings therein bounded by arcuate forward edges concentric with said axis and said top and bottom flanges having keeper receiving recesses therein registering with said keeper receiving openings at the release position of said latch member to receive the keeper tongue in said latch member when said separable container sections are in closed position, said top and bottom flanges including shoulder portions bounding the keeper receiving recess therein movable into and out of the slot in said keeper tongue upon such circumferential displacement of the latch member for latching the keeper tongue therein against withdrawal therefrom and for freeing the keeper tongue for withdrawal, and said top and bottom flanges having integral outwardly oppositely projecting ears bent outwardly from an edge of the keeper receiving recess of each of said flanges extending into said keeper receiving openings of said top and bottom walls in sliding contact with said arcuate forward edges of said openings to maintain said latch member within said well and guidably support the same for said circumferential displacement between said latching and release positions.

8. A latch as defined in claim 7, wherein said top and bottom flanges are resiliently deformable inwardly along the portions thereof adjacent said ears to a suflicient extent to accommodate passage of the ears into the well to locate them in registry with said openings whereupon the flanges spring outwardly to interfit the ears in said openll'lgS.

9. In a latch as defined in claim 7, said latch member including a key lock having a bolt movable by a key between a projected and retracted position within said well, and said housing member including a stop surface located adjacent said bolt when the latter is in projected position and said latch member occupies said latching position to bar movement of said latch member to said release position.

10. In a latch as defined in claim 7, said latch member having integral end flanges bent rearwardly and inwardly in convergent relation from opposite ends of said front wall, a retaining plate substantially coextensive with said front wall spaced rearwardly therefrom and retained by said end flange rearwardly lapping the same, and a bolt plate slidably supported between said front wall and retaining plate for rectilinear reciprocative movement between locking and unlocking positions responsive to movement of a key, said bolt plate having a locking lug projecting integrally rearwardly therefrom beyond said retaining plate, and said concave cylindrical wall having shoulder means engageable with said locking lug at the locking position of said bolt plate to hold said latch member against circumferential movement from latching position.

11. In a latch as defined in claim 8, said latch member having integral end flanges bent rearwardly and inwardly in convergent relation from opposite ends of said front Wall, a retaining plate substantially coextensive with said front wall spaced rearwardly therefrom and retained by said end flange rearwardly lapping the same, and a bolt plate slidably supported between said front wall and retaining plate for rectilinear reciprocative movement between locking and unlocking positions responsive to movement of a key, said bolt plate having a locking lug projecting integrally rearwardly therefrom beyond said retaining plate, and said concave cylindrical wall having shoulder means engageable with said locking lug at the locking position of said bolt plate to hold said latch 8 member against circumferential movement from latching position.

12. A latch as defined in claim 10, including a bighted leaf spring having a foot and a leg portion extending from an intermediate bend therein and forming an acute angle therebetween, said foot being located between said retaining plate and the rear surface of said front wall with said bend disposed at one end of the retaining plate and said leg portion extending rearwardly along a portion of said concave rear wall, and said leg portion and said concave rear wall having coactive detent formations therein to releasably restrain the latch member at said latching and unlatching positions.

13. A latch as defined in claim 11, including a bighted leaf spring having a foot and a leg portion extending from an intermediate bend therein and forming an acute angle therebetween, said foot being located between said retaining plate and the rear surface of said front wall with said bend disposed at one end of the retaining plate and said leg portion extending rearwardly along a portion of said concave rear wall, and said leg portion and said con cave rear wall having coactive detent formations therein to releasably restrain the latch member at said latching and unlatching positions.

14. A latch as defined in claim 8, wherein said keeper tongue has a downwardly extending thin planar body portion terminating in a convex lower free end and a peripheral, forwardly projecting U-shaped flange bounding the lateral edges and free end of said body portion, said peripheral flange having a forwardly opening gate therethrough forming said laterally opening slot sized to accommodate the thickness of either of the flanges of said latch member and located at a lateral edge of the body portion to receive the shoulder portion of the upper latch member flange when the latter is shifted from unlatching to latching positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,266,275 8/1966 Atkinson -70 3,392,556 7/1968 Atkinson 70-71 3,459,016 8/1969 Atkinson 70-312 3,461,697 8/1969 Gehrie 7071 ROBERT L. WOLFE, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N 3,616,666 D t d November 2 1971 Inven Wallace EhAtkinson It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, in the third line of the heading after "Petersburg, Va. 23803" there should be inserted the following:

--Assignor to Long Manufacturing Co., Inc., Petersburg, Va., a corporation of Virginia-- Signed and sealed this 2nd day of May 1972.

( EAL? Attest:

EDWARD i-'i.FLE'ICHER, JR, ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC GOS'IG-PBQ U S GOVERNMENY PRIN'HRG OFFICE 1959 O-366'33A RM PO-lOSG (10-69) 

